New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-26
ONE GOOD FEATURE.

With the enforcement Of the lnter,t1te law
In one respect, the public and all lntelligent
railroad owners can heartily sympathze Com
plants such as were made in the Providence
and Worcester case, that transportation rates
discriminate in favor of some merchants and
shippers, and against others at the same
places. deserve attention and shoul1 lead to
prompt action by the Commission wherever
they are well founded The public has a
right to require That the power of the trans
porters shall not be used TO crash out COM
petition of local dealers in serving consumers !;
that tic railroads shall not cleate mo-
nopolies in the various branches of trade and
industry.
This kind of discrimination originates in
the granting of special rates to large ship
pers. Thee is reason in making lower rates
for tho carload than for smsller QUANTITIES.,
because the service i'll the former case IN
wolves less cost OF transporia ion tlal In the
latter. Still more, where a shipper has moro
Or less frequently or regularly full train leads
to be transported, always from OF to the
same place, the railroad has gCOl reason for
nj king diffcrential rates in his favor the
| cost OF the service Icing different. But ont
| OF the power which. the fixing of Rates In sLcn
| cases gives to the managers OF rallr' ais, there
has grown W an outrageous abuse, which II
was one of the objects of the Interstate act
10 remove and VIII CHI all wise railroad own
eIs recognize as no less stile to their inter
ests than to the Interests of the publ C.
1t is charged in many CASE, and in some
cases is DOUBTLESS true, that the IndlNlii;l'
who have practical management OF railways
use this power for their private gam or olhcr
! personal advantage. shipper nscnts u
pay the manager a bonus II he fixes rdics
which give that shipper an advantage over
his councillors. Here the manager peck t.
a revenue paid by favored dealers or man
uracturcrs along the line, and Other dealers
| or manufacturers are crushed. The pu hc
suffers, because at each point monopones C
created by which the consumers are plum
dered The railroad loses because, inStc d
of the traffic VIII Oh dozen transporterS or
manufacturers night give, it g Is tn traffic
of only one. In reality. this dishonest man
agemcnt is clearly as no 'tilc to tie best in
terests of the IA lroads as it is to the public
interest.
At times. also, the same power Is un ciup-
ulously used for political or other PERSONAL
ends. Active business m,n in different To-
calities are forced to obey the wishes OF 4
railroad manager in order TO secure living
rat if they resist and fight, the rates cx-
acted are such as to give decisive advan-
| tage in business TO more compliant COM
petitors This is an abuse which ought not
to be tolerated anywhere. Proof of its eN-
| istcnce ought in every case tobe followed by
prompt proceedings against the company Of
nding, so that it may be compelled to
restrain or TO change the nm ,ment
Because these and other abuses Of the
same nature are possible, where tho power
to make diffcrcntal Iaes for different ship
ments is recognized many have supposed II
rec s,ary to prohibit discrimina ion in rates
between large AID small shippers, or between
those whose shipments are reg lar and con-
slant, and others whose shipments arc ircg
ular But if that was the intent Of trainers
of the act, they have failed to cmb oily it in
the law. The act only prob bits dIffcrCnt;ll
rates "under substantially similar circun-
stances and conditions 1t does not any
where prohibit reasonable discrimination
based upon real differ noes Il tie ci cum
stances or conditions Of traffic. Wherever
the difference in charges. p ofesscdly based
on differences in the quantity, time or reg
ular.ty of shI mcnls, is grc4ter than Is lea
sonable, the law becomes operative, and in
that particular it may be heartily sustained
rs wise measure.